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Could you please introduce yourself? 

Hello! My name is Corinne, I am 30 years old, and I live in Montreal, Québec. I grew up in Saint-Georges, the eldest of 5 kids. I went to school for international management, but I was so confused when I stepped out of university that honestly, I thought I would spend my life singing in bars, with my guitar, or waitressing in a city in New Brunswick, married to a fisherman! Those were small dreams, but life brought me to an incredible company – I work with my best friend in construction, and I now manage a team of 8 salesmen in North America. I am a romantic, and I live life intensely – it’s not always easy, but it’s who I am, and I love every second of it!

You did a 365 days challenge with yoga. Why do you think you got that Idea? How and when did you get the Idea?

I got that idea out of desperation – it was December 2019, and I felt very badly about my body. I needed a project, something to hold on to, and I saw a video about a woman who did 365 days of yoga. I thought I could do that, and for once, my goal for the new year can be about something other than losing weight! I pushed it further by deciding to post every day on Instagram.

Did it take a long time from you got the idea until you Started?

It took me exactly 12 minutes, haha! I saw the video, and I posted on Instagram that I was doing this. I am very impulsive, and sometimes, when I take too long to make a decision, I don’t do it! So I jumped in.

How was it to dedicate to a 365 days challenge with no days off?

It was terrific, because yes, it was 365 days of yoga, but it was also 365 days of taking care of myself. If I would have had rules like – 30 minutes min, must sweat every day, etc I don’t think I could have done it. So instead, the only rule I made was to get on the mat because yoga is about connecting your mind and your body and tuning into yourself. And that’s what I did! I did it the day I learned my godfather died by suicide. I did it when I was exhausted from traveling for work. I did it when I was in the septs of anxiety during the pandemic. I did it every day, and honestly, it might have saved me from 2020.

How did you motivate yourself every day, even when you did not feel like doing it?

The fact that I had people following me on Instagram really helped – I was held accountable by my friends and my community! I also thought of it as art, a creation, so on days where I felt less like it, I created a beautiful decor, wore a nice outfit, lit some candles, created a mood around it. I love to create beautiful settings, so that motivated me. Plus, after a while, it became a habit! So I wanted to do it every day! 

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What did you expect to get out of that challenge, and what did you get out of it? Did the dedication change you somehow? In which way? How did it affect Your thoughts, emotions, and spirituality?

I expected to lose weight and get a yoga body – honest to god, that was my first intention. But as time progressed, I got so close to my body. I learned to love it. I noticed things I had never noticed before. And I realized that even though I was not losing weight, I was getting stronger, more flexible, and better every day! So my dedication transformed from a dedication outside of myself to a dedication inside of myself. It calmed me down and made me proud! Because all my life, I had pushed off certain things to do that at the perfect weight, or at the perfect state of mind – but here I was, posting my body on social media every day, not at my ideal weight, and I didn’t die! It was going well! It helped me believe in myself and trust that what my body looked like didn’t matter – it was how I felt inside that mattered.

Would you recommend it to others? Why?

I recommend it to others, absolutely, but only if you do it in a way that is kind to yourself. A challenge like this shouldn’t be violent – it should be soft and loving, and it should flow. I recommend it because I lack discipline, and doing yoga for 365 days showed me that I did have discipline, and that when I really want to do something, I can! It helped me believe in myself, and it also made me realize that whatever happens, I could come back to myself and center myself. On hard days, on good days – for 15 minutes to 60 minutes, I put myself first.

Now, you have started with a new challenge? Will you tell us what it is? And what are your goals and expectations for it?

My new challenge is 365 days of movement! I have had a challenging month of September and with the 365 days of yoga video being popular on youtube and a lot of new friends on Instagram 🙂 And a lot of people asked me, will you do another challenge? So, once again, impulsively, I decided that I was going to do another year, and I posted immediately, haha! I picked 365 days of movement this time because I have fallen in love with pilates and want to walk more. So like that, I can do yoga, pilates, or walking, and also try new things! It can help me explore other exercises, sports, practices, etc. My expectations are; to come back to myself and inspire others who maybe, just like me, feel like they can’t do it. By doing it and sharing, it can inspire others. I have gotten so many beautiful messages already that 12 days in, I know I did the right thing by starting again! I am very proud of myself, and I am excited to see what I create this year with this challenge! 

If you haven’t read my colleague’s post “Compassion and Personal Boundaries: No Conflict At All “, you should check it out, and thanks for following the Wise and Shine community. You are also welcome to visit and follow my blog.